Christmas Cranberry Pie

I’ve been making big pitchers of this one. It stands out from other similar blends due to the spices. That sometimes makes it taste sort of heavy and not as refreshing, but the flavor is pretty decent. I wouldn’t order it again, but it’s tart and interesting. I still don’t see this flavor as pie, but I enjoy how the spices and fruit blend when I drink this cold.

Bird & Blend Advent Calendar 2021: Day 1!

My first advent tea EVER! I’ll admit I wasn’t super thrilled to find a fruity tisane in the first box; I chose the caffeinated calendar for a reason! I was even less thrilled to spot hibiscus and stevia in the ingredient list. But I do love cranberry, so that’s a win.

Overall, though, this one was better than I expected it to be. The stevia and hibiscus were quite muted in my cup, with cranberry being the dominant flavor. I can dig that. I also appreciated that there’s just a subtle note of cinnamon. I would’ve liked some kind of buttery element to simulate pie crust—the tea is named for pie, after all! Still, this is a solid tea for what it is. Fruit teas will never be my first choice, but I would gladly accept another cup of this one. And my partner (who will be drinking the second bag in each box!) really liked it.

(As a side note, I’ve never had cranberry pie for Christmas but now I’m inspired to bake one! Also, this review is for yesterday’s tasting… just didn’t get around to posting on time.)

Bird & Blend Advent Calendar 2021 – Day 1

It’s been a few years since I had the B&B advent. And in all honesty, I wasn’t planning on getting it this year either but then they went and offered free international shipping and I gave in. Plus the design is so cute!

There are actually two sachets in each day this year, meant for sharing. My husband doesn’t drink tea, so I’m just using both sachets to steep up a big 16-ounce mug for myself instead!

I will say, this is extremely similar to the last tea I had – Merry Mistletoe from DAVIDsTEA. It’s a cranberry-flavored fruit tisane with hibiscus, stevia, and a hint of spice. Almost identical really, ha ha… Happily the stevia is less obvious here for me, and I get a bit more of a cherry candy note than cranberry. The spicing is extremely similar and equally subtle. Level of hibiscus is also very similar.

I feel like I drank the same tisane twice tonight! Ha ha… Luckily it was a pleasant one! I will say of the two, I prefer this version due to the subtler stevia. :)

B&B Advent 2021 Day 1

We did our B&B caffeinated calendar from 7-30 November.

The dry smell is okay, like cranberry and maybe chemicals? The steeped smell is like a cranberry apple cider. There’s not too much flavour coming through at all when it’s hot. However, there is the awful aftertaste of stevia ruining the end of my sip. Even as the tea cools, there’s not much more than barely flavoured warm water and that stevia taste in the back of my throat.